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La. oversight of Medicaid criticized Audit questions spending for $2.4B program BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
The Louisiana Department of Health failed to properly oversee some $2.4 billion in Medicaid spending aimed at improving the health of the state’s neediest patients, according to a new report from the Louisiana Legislative
Auditor’s Office. The report, released Monday, found that over the past five years, the state’s Managed Care Incentive Program, which turned to Ochsner Health and a consortium that includes LSU Health New Orleans, LCMC Health and Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System to run the program,
spent more than half the money on administrative expenses and other costs that did not have a measurable impact on patient health outcomes. “The sole focus of this program was to improve the health outcomes of Medicaid beneficiaries but that’s not happening,” Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack
said in an interview Monday. “The funds are not making it all the way down to the hospitals that are doing the work.” The issues identified with the Managed Care Incentive Program, or MCIP, which was designed to increase Medicaid patients’ access to preventive medical care, improve management of chronic diseases and offer other services, underscored the challenges Louisiana faces as it tries to improve
Report details roof impacts
La. homes with fortified coverings can save residents money
the health of its lowest-income residents. The state ranked 49th in health outcomes when the program went into effect in 2019 and has since slipped to 50th. Federal and state Medicaid funding in Louisiana was nearly $15 billion in 2024. While the MCIP program represents only 4.8% of that total, the report raises
ä See MEDICAID, page 4A
Education stipend program draws families Nearly 14,000 have signed up for scholarships
BY PATRICK WALL
Staff writer
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BILL FEIG
A fortified roof in south Louisiana can mean fewer hurricane losses, according to a new study by state auditors. BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer
The benefits of getting a fortified roof in south Louisiana — including lower insurance premiums and fewer hurricane losses — generally outweigh the cost of putting the roof on, according to a new study by state auditors. The report, released Monday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office, found most people who have taken advantage of a state grant program to install a stronger roof have seen insurance pre-
miums drop. The median recipient saw a 22% discount, saving them $1,250 a year. The findings are a boost to the state’s fortified roof program as lawmakers consider whether to continue funding it. High insurance premiums are wreaking havoc in hurricane-prone communities in south Louisiana. Still, the report found that Louisiana is behind the curve in widespread adoption of fortified roofs, and adding more of them could make the state more attractive to the reinsurance market and lower insurance costs. Reinsurers, which offer
insurance for insurance companies, play an outsized role in deciding how much Louisiana homeowners pay in premiums. And strengthening Louisiana’s buildings en masse could ultimately result in bigger drops in premiums. Fortified roofs, which involve stronger fasteners and water sealant, are more wind resistant, making it less likely a home will take on serious damage if a hurricane hits. Louisiana, which began offering grants to help build them in 2023, has
ä See ROOF, page 4A
Nearly 14,000 eligible Louisiana families have signed up for the state’s new LA GATOR scholarship program since applications opened this month, according to new state data, suggesting that demand for the stipends will almost certainly exceed supply. The centerpiece of Gov. Jeff Landry’s education agenda, the new program will give tax dollars to eligible families to help pay for private-school tuition or approved expenses, such as tutoring, textbooks or special-education services. The application period, which started March 1 and runs through April 15, is being closely watched as an early indicator of public interest in the scholarships. Proponents are sure to point to the figures when state lawmakers convene next month to hammer out the state budget and decide on funding for programs, including LA GATOR. The initial application numbers show that “people across the entire state are interested” in the program and “looking for opportunities for their children,” said state Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton
ä See EDUCATION, page 6A
Ukraine to propose limited ceasefire during talks with U.S. BY MATTHEW LEE and HANNA ARHIROVA
Associated Press
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — A Ukrainian delegation set to meet with America’s top diplomat in Saudi Arabia about ending the three-year war with Russia will propose a ceasefire covering the Black Sea and long-range missile strikes, as well as the release of prisoners, two senior Ukrainian officials said Monday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about Tuesday’s meeting, also told The Associated Press that the Ukrainian delegation is ready during the talks to sign an
WEATHER HIGH 75 LOW 45 PAGE 6A
agreement with the United States on access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals — a deal that U.S. President Donald Trump is keen to secure. The officials discussed the confidence-building measures, with no further details, ahead of the Ukrainian negotiating team’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jeddah. Kyiv is trying to repair the damage done when Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Feb. 28 visit to Washington descended into an Oval Office argument with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. At stake is the military aid and intelligence previously offered by the United States that had helped Ukraine
in the war but is now paused as Washington pushes for a peace agreement. Rubio and Zelenskyy landed a few hours apart Monday in Saudi Arabia, though they were not expected to meet. Zelenskyy was to meet with the kingdom’s powerful crown prince Monday evening. Rubio also was due to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Speaking to reporters aboard his plane, Rubio said he and national security adviser Mike Waltz would take stock of Ukraine’s responses in Saudi Arabia. If Ukraine and the U.S. reach an
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, meets with Prince Saud bin Mishaal, deputy governor of Saudi Arabia’s ä See UKRAINE, page 4A Mecca region, right, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.
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